A moment to breathe...

I have recently come up on a moment to breathe. :-)

It feels kinda weird since I was also able to take a walk at lunch and experience a beautiful day outside, as well. God is good. He blesses us and gives us what we need. I am thankful for this moment, also, because I know it won't last long as there is much to do.

We have finished our classes for fostering to adopt. Though the classes were very good and appreciated, they were also very time consuming (40 hrs in 3 months), so I'm thankful that we've finished them. There is much to do yet, such as house inspections and interviews with caseworkers and patiently waiting for another child that God has for us to love. Our three girls are all so wonderful and they too, are looking forward to a little brother to add to the family and love like one of our own. But, until all of that, a moment to breathe.

Track is over for Morgan, which means less after school activity for the whole family. It was kinda neat to see Morgan participate. Girls and boys are so different, though. Sports are still so much about relationships for girls, while guys are so concerned with success/failure. Morgan will have more cheerleading stuff right around the corner, since she made the 8th grade squad (yeah!! for her!!) but we'll have a break for a little while. A moment to breathe.

The NFL Draft is over. Teams are pretty much set. There is little to no sports news that interests me until NFL Training Camps start up in late July (unless perhaps we end up with a Cavs vs Lakers finale). A moment to breathe.

School has been hectic these last two months since OGTs and everyday packed with meetings from the beginning of the day until the end. My head has been spinning. It's been good and I've been thankful, but it's just taken a little getting used to compared to the first part of the school year. But, in a little over a week those will be over, school will be preparing to end, and I'll be off work for the summer (most of it.) A moment to breathe.

Financially, things have been very difficult, though we've managed to pay off some debt (which has been a blessing!) We hope to have a couple of garage sales, sell some stuff on ebay, and use a couple of bonuses to catch things up, so that we are not riding the line quite so tight. Not to mention, if we do some things right in this next year, as we are planning to, we can be completely out of debt (minus the house) in less than a year! I'm looking forward to a moment to breathe.

Whever I start to feel frazzled because of my lack of time, money, or other resources, I am always reminded that God is the God who provides. He gives us what we need. And as his child whom he loves desperately, if I don't have enough money, it's probably because I haven't used appropriately what He's given me. If I don't have enough time, it's probably because I'm trying to do too much and I need to chill out. If I haven't achieved enough "success," it's probably because I need to be patient and wait for God to do His work. Mostly, when I'm feeling stressed out due to a lack of time and constant running, I often and need to remember the Sabbath.

The Sabbath is something I believe we should follow legalistically in maitaining all of these rules of what we can and/or cannot do on Sunday (actually, it was Saturday), but rather it is a place of rest in God's presence. It is stopping and listening to what God has to say to me. It is simply being, not doing. God has a Sabbath for me that is not confined to a day of the week. God has a Sabbath waiting for me with the promise of eternal rest. The Sabbath is a gift, not a burden. It is for man, not against him. The Sabbath is a moment to breathe...

Right now, I need a Sabbath. I've spent too many days working in my own strength and power, free of listening to God's voice and just surviving on my own. God has something better for me. He has and wants a deeper relationship than that. It is time for me to remember that and reflect on God's goodness in God's presence. It is time to take a moment to breathe...